Automatic high and low water alarm for boilers.



C. M. CLARK.

AUTOMATIC HIGH AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6. I913.

Patented Aug. 10, I915.

Man/e, M. CLQMQ COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. c.

oHAnLEs MOTLEY CLARK, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC HIGH AND LOW WATER'AL-ARM Eon Bo'ILEEs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10,1915.

Application filed August 16, 1913. Serial No. 785,059.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MOTLEY CLARK, citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and tate of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Automatic High and Low Water Alarms for Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for indicating low and high water levels in a boiler or other chamber in which steam and water are present, said device operating under the automatic control of static coltunns of water of different heights.

dy invention consists of pressure motor devices adapted to control the supply of steam or actuating vapor or air to a whistle or alarm, combined with static water columns between said pressure motor devices and the boiler or receptacle in which the proper water level is to be maintained, the apparatus as a whole so operating that the pressure motor devices are subjected to oprating pressures of static heads or water columns whenever the level of the water in the boiler or other receptacle is at the low or high levels.

My invention also comprehends details of construction which, together with the features above specified will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating the general features of my improvement and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of pressure motor.

2 is the boiler and 3 is the water column having the usual water gages for manual testing of the water level, said water column being connected at its bottom with the boiler 2 below the low water level by a pipe 5 and being connected at its top or upper end with the steam space of the boiler by a pipe 4:. The actual water level in the boiler will be shown in the water column.

5 and 6 are two diaphragm motor chambers and 7 and 8* are the respective diaphragms for said chambers. The chamber 5 is connected with the low water level of the water column 3 by a pipe having the two legs 9 and 10 connected at the top. Normally, the inverted U shape pipe is full of water and only when the water level is at the low water level does the water run out of the leg 10 into the water column by gravity to allow the said leg 10 to be filled with steam. The column of water in the leg 9 then exerts a pressure upon the diaphragm 7 due to its static head. The chamber 6 is similarly connected by an inverted U-shaped pipe with the water column 3 at what is the high water level and when the leg 12 contains steam, the leg 11 will contain a static head operating to keep the diaphragm 8 depressed.

The diaphragms 7 and 8 may be respectively connected at 15 and 16 to opposite ends of the lever 13 which is pivoted at 14 to the casings of the chambers 5 and 6. This lever 13 is spring pressed upward at its end connected with the high water op erating devices, said means comprising a coiled spring 17 about a rod 19 and put under compression by a nut screwed upon the rod. By this means the desired pressure may be put upon the lever 13 to secure the necessary balancing of the water column 11. The other end of the lever 13 is connected by a wire 22 or other suitable means with the lever 21 for controlling a valve of the alarm or whistle 20 which may be operated by steam or compressed air.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the water in the boiler to be normal, the pipe 12 will contain steam and pipes 9, 10 and 11 will be full of water. The static water column in pipe 11 acts to cause the motor diaphragm 8 to force down the left hand end of the lever 13 and this is opposed by the adjustment of the spring 17 so that the lever 13 remains in normal position. The pipes 9 and 10 being full of water there is but small static effect in pipe 9 to depress the diaphragm. If now the water level descends so as to permit steam to enter the lower end of pipe 10, then the water therein runs out into the boiler and we then have the static head due to the column of water in pipe 9. This forces down the diaphragm 7 and oscillates the lever 13 to operate the alarm valve to give a signal. If the water rises until the high water mark is reached then we will have pipe 10 water sealed and full of water so that the static head in pipe 9 is substantially counterbalanced by the static head in pipe 10. Further, when the pipe 12 becomes sealed with water, the static head in pipe 11 is reduced and the spring 17 comes into play to rock the lever 13 to sound the alarm or whistle. In this case we will have the static head in pipes 9 and 11 (below the water level in the boiler) counterbalancing each other, so that the spring 17 comes into action. If desired, a weight 23 may be employed instead of the spring 17 or in conjunction with it for operating the lever 13 to sound the alarm whenever high water level has been reached.

WVhile I have shown my improvements in a satisfactory form, I do not restrict myself thereto as the details may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus of the character stated, a steam boiler combined with an alarm device, a casing forming a plurality of pressure chambers for controlling the actuation of said alarm device, an inverted U-shaped pipe having one end communicating with one of said chambers and its other end cominunicating with the boiler at or adjacent to its low water level, a second inverted U- shaped pipe having one end in communica tion with the second pressure chamber and its other end communicating with the boiler at or adjacent to the high water level, said inverted U-shaped pipes providing static heads operating in conjunction with said pressure chambers according to the level of the water in the boiler, the static head of one of said U-shaped pipes being adapted to balance the static head in the other U-shaped pipe under certain conditions, a lever pivoted to said casing and connected to said alarm device, means controlled by the pressure in said chambers for moving said lever in one direction or the other, and means op erating through said lever to vary the action of said pressure controlled means.

2. In an apparatus of the character stated, a steam boiler combined With an alarm device, a pair of pressure motors for controlling the actuation of said alarm device, said motors being secured together and having their respective diaphragms located substantially in the same plane, an inverted U- shaped pipe having one end leading from one of the pressure motors, and having the other end connected with the boiler at or ad jacent to its low water level, a second inverted U-shaped pipe having one end connected with the other pressure motor and its other end connected with the boiler at or adjacent to its high water level, said inverted U-shaped pipes providing vertical static heads for the two pressure motors, according to the level of the water in the boilers, for causing the operation of the respective pressure motors, the static head of one of said U-shaped pipes being adapted to balance the static head in the other U-shaped pipe under certain conditions, means common to both pressure motors for actuating said alarm device, and adjustable devices for controlling the resistance of the pressure motors to the action of the static heads produced in said pipes.

In testimony of which invention, I here unto set my hand.

CHARLES MOTLEY CLARK. Witnesses:

OLIVE MCGAHAN, T. M. REED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. a 

